


Who Doesn’t Like Chocolate?

by wish123



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Draco hates chocolate, Established Relationship, F/M, Hermione loves chocolate, Is white chocolate really chocolate?, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:35:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29118366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wish123/pseuds/wish123
Summary: The look on Draco’s face was unmistakably one that had just been caught red handed. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before reaching up to rub the back of his neck, clearly trying to figure out what to say. “Okay. Listen… the truth is… I don’t like chocolate.”
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 9
Kudos: 29
Collections: Dramione Valentine Exchange





	Who Doesn’t Like Chocolate?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [articcat621](https://archiveofourown.org/users/articcat621/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [DramioneValentineExchange](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/DramioneValentineExchange) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> Draco hates chocolate, Hermione tries to change his mind.  
> 

Hermione Granger loved chocolate. It was a versatile treat that fulfilled a vast spectrum of sensory pleasures for its consumer. The sweet morsel could be shaped big or small, liquid or solid, cream filled or mere fractures of a bar, or contain the ability to form a perfect union between sweet and salty. No matter what the form, she was a fan.

After all, who doesn’t like chocolate? 

Because of that question, Hermione never gave a second thought when she picked up a gift box of signature truffles from the Neuhaus shop in Brussels. It was the first work trip after she’d taken up with Draco Malfoy and she didn’t want to return home empty handed. 

He’d received the box with a beaming smile and glimmer of affection in his eyes as he thanked her. 

The passionate welcome home that she’d received in the bedroom afterwards solidified for Hermione a tradition for all future gifts. Travel was regularly required as part of her work. Following a stint as a liaison for the Office of Misinformation, she started consulting internationally with other Ministries to handle precarious incidents between creatures and muggles. 

When she peered through the glass case of a Richart’s shop in France, her heart warmed as she realized this would be the first tradition that she and Draco would share. And if there was anything that she loved more than gift giving, it was traditions. 

With subsequent departures, she began to conduct surveys with locals and where she could find the best or the most unique chocolate offerings the area had. She brought back a Bourbon Balls from the Rebecca Ruth Candy shop when work took her to Frankfort, KY. Draco’s eyes went wide at the taste of that one. In Japan, there was a box of Mary’s Gourmet Chocolates. In Switzerland, a box from Teuscher’s. She couldn’t resist picking up a bar of Al Nassma from Dubai, and so on. 

In the early days, he’d open the box and they’d each share a bite of one of the sweet confections, before Draco would tuck them away, ‘for later…’ Eventually, he’d simply accept the box and immediately distract her with the touch of his lips. That should have been her clue, but Draco was a professional at receiving gifts, enough to blind her. 

Hermione and Draco were in it for the long haul, so when he asked her to move in with him, she enthusiastically accepted. It was in the midst of unloading her boxes and consolidating their things that Hermione stumbled upon a cabinet full of long square and rectangular boxes. Square and rectangular _chocolate_ boxes--her gifts to him. 

She grimaced at the sight and felt her shoulders sag. She began to take out the boxes one by one, each evidence of her world tour, and all but a few still wrapped in their pristine packaging. She rubbed her forehead trying to make sense of why all of her carefully selected gifts to him were stashed away. 

When he arrived home, she confronted him about finding the unopened boxes. He tried to tell her that he wanted to keep them as a collection. 

However, the excuse made her blood simmer. “If you were collecting them then why would you say you enjoyed them?!” 

The look on Draco’s face was unmistakably one that had just been caught red handed. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before reaching up to rub the back of his neck, clearly trying to figure out what to say. “Okay. Listen… the truth is… I don’t like chocolate.” 

Hermione’s mouth hung agape as the words sunk in. Her boyfriend, who she’d been in a relationship with for over a year, didn’t like one of the most beloved sweets of mankind. She couldn’t make sense of this. “But… your mother always sent you sweets at school.” 

Draco shrugged his shoulders. “None of those were chocolate.” 

“BUT HOW CAN YOU NOT LIKE CHOCOLATE?!?!” She shrieked, her voice came out with more desperation than she had anticipated.

Hermione watched as Draco shrunk back. He tried to explain, but she failed to process any of it as her mind was still spinning. 

“Draco… what happened to you? Was it Lucius? Did he use chocolate as a form of punishment? Or forgot an Easter treat? Did-” The last question that crossed her mind pained her, but the situation appeared to push against her better judgment. She swallowed. “Did your house elves mess up a birthday cake or a favorite dessert recipe?” 

“Hermione, no-” The tone of his voice told her that he thought she was being irrational, which didn’t set well with her either. He was the one who didn’t like chocolate! 

Suddenly, other pieces over the last year started connecting for her. She gasped. “This is why you only eat the waffle when we get gelato. We _always_ order chocolate.” 

“ _You_ always order chocolate.” 

Hermione paused. That was true, but only to an extent. She always suggested her flavor of choice to him and he’d always agree to it. Again, another instance of him not being forthcoming that he didn’t like it. “It’s just I feel like I don’t even know you--” 

“Because I don’t like chocolate?” 

“I mean, it’s like the next thing you’re going to tell me is that you don't’ like coffee…” 

Draco said nothing. His eyes quickly glancing down before slowly lifting back to meet hers, a wave of guilt behind them. 

“You don’t like COFFEE?!” Hermione’s hands flew up to cover her mouth. 

Draco raised his arms towards her, a gesture that seemed intended on stabilizing the situation. “In my defense, I never said that I did. You assumed-” 

Hermione let out a long sigh, feeling lost, as if she had somehow missed some critical information for the last year. This was unfathomable. She was shaken to her core. What other things had she missed? What else didn’t she know? There would be a time for that later, but first things first, she could fix this. He just hadn’t tried the right chocolate yet. “This is unacceptable. Everyone likes chocolate. There’s a multitude of variations. We just have to try until we find the right one.” 

Hermione ensured that Draco tried every permutation of chocolate: milk, semi-sweet, dark. There were truffles, cream-filled, caramel-filled, coconut-filled, nut-filled, chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate covered donuts, Pocky, and even Kit-kats as a last ditch effort. Nothing. He liked none of it. 

She took a deep breath to calm herself and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Tastebuds change. We’ll just try again in a few years. It’ll all be fine.” 

With that, she’d stood and retreated to the bedroom before Draco could even react. 

A few weeks later, on the eve of Valentine’s day, Hermione had nestled into bed early as she had an early morning Portkey to Tuscany at an outrageous hour. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been asleep though, before Draco had roused her from her slumber. 

“What’s wrong?” Hermione slowly sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes as she focused on Draco sitting just to her side at the edge of the bed. 

“I want to give you your Valentine’s Day present,” Draco said softly. He placed a rectangular box on her lap. 

She let out a condescending snort. “You can’t seriously be giving me a box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day?” 

“Yes, but it’s actually for both of us.” His tone was optimistic. “I found a chocolate I like.” 

She shot forward towards him, now wide awake. “Are you for real?” 

Draco nodded vigorously in confirmation. “Here. Open them.” 

She quickly picked up the box to tear the ribbon off. Lifting the lid off, she felt the weight of her excitement plummet as she looked down. 

“It’s white chocolate,” Hermione could hear the deflation reflected in her voice. Draco’s brow furrowed at the reaction. “But...it’s not even chocolate.” 

“But what makes chocolate- _chocolate_?” 

“Cocoa powder! But this is made of cocoa butter, which is just a fat that comes from a cocoa bean. Did you know that some white chocolate isn’t even made with cocoa butter? Have you even checked the ingredient list?” 

Draco couldn’t be convinced though. “Yes, but it’s still derived from the bean. Therefore, it’s chocolate.” 

She opened her mouth to argue further before Draco raised a finger to shush her. “White chocolate is a recognized variety of chocolate, even you can’t argue that. I have scoured different shops for weeks trying to find something and I have. It’s sweeter, lighter, and creamier than anything you had me try.” 

Hermione ignored that he had just silenced her. Sweet, rich, and creamy...her shoulders slumped. That was everything that real chocolate was. 

Draco was clearly trying. All of these things were variants of why a normal person liked chocolate. Maybe this development could be a gateway. She’d bring him back a box of white chocolate, and then maybe-eventually-they could meet in the middle with milk chocolate. Relationships were about give and take, after all.

She plucked one of the ivory colored confections from the box and placed it between her teeth before leaning forward to catch Draco’s lips, where he eagerly bit the other half before kissing her soundly.

Perhaps she could work with this.

Next, she’d work on the coffee.

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to Anne_Ammons for her great feedback and help with edits!
> 
> To be fully transparent, white chocolate is my favorite :) I am Draco.


End file.
